A lightweight carrier of the type to which the present invention relates is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,158, by the inventor hereof and assigned to the assignee of the present application. This carrier utilizes longitutindal support elements and cross pieces. For lightweight construction, they are all made of aluminum. The cross pieces and the longitudinal support elements are interconnected by plastic elements which are injection-molded in place around both the support elements and cross pieces, at the same time to simultaneously form connecting elements as well as attachments for support rods struts arranged for attachment to a bicycle on, or adjacent to the axle of a wheel. The support struts are so secured in the injection molded plastic element at the time of molding thereof that they can rotate with respect thereto, or, for ease of packing and stacking the carriers for shipment, as well as for adjustment thereof on a bicycle. The resulting carrier is of extremely light weight and of pleasing appearance while being stable and capable of carrying substantial weight. All the plastic elements, which form interconnecting parts as well as bearings for the support struts can be injection molded in a single step.
The struts, which extend at right angles to the longitudinal support elements and cross-pieces, require comparatively complex injection molds, which result in a complicated injection apparatus and require careful introduction of the longitudinal support rods or struts as well as of the cross pieces, to prevent damage or destruction of the injecting molding apparatus.